Private Brand Protege from Sears

If you’re new to My Private Brand, get FREE updates when you subscribe.
Thank you for visiting.

This past week I spent four days in New York City with my wife and as always I was on the lookout for Private Brands. Saturday was our big “wander the city day” and we began on Canal street the land of a thousand luxury brand knockoffs. We then made our way up the island for lunch at Jean George on Columbus Circle at One Central Park West. After a long day of exploring the city we headed back to our hotel in SOHO on the 1 train, as we sat down in the train I looked up to discover a Private Brand staring down at me: Protégé the value-priced basketball shoe Private Brand from Sears/Kmart. Looking around the car every ad space was occupied by Protégé, the ads alternated between Sears and Kmart.

Sears has recently expanded the Protégé line from Kmart to select Sears’s stores and will support the rollout with a summer tour, in partnership with the NBA, WNBA and D-League. According to Women’s Wear Daily, Protégé will stage 32 events in inner-city communities around the country. The events, in New York, Detroit, Miami and other cities, will feature fit clinics and appearances by NBA stars, including, of course, Protégé’s NBA frontman, Al Harrington of the New York Knicks.

Christopher Durham is the founder of My Private Brand and the VP of retail brands at Theory House, the branding and retail marketing agency. He is the author of “Fifty2: The My Private Brand Project,” a consultant, strategist and retailer who has worked with the world’s largest retailers to build, manage and grow compelling billion dollar brands.